Well, what would you like to eat then, Hua Cheng?
Xie Lian shifted to face Fu Yao and, intentionally or otherwise, when he took a step forwards, he shielded San Lang from view. "There is no need to remind me of who I am. On this, I am most clear."
"Then why the hell are you still standing there by his side?" Fu Yao seethed.
Xie Lian's reply was frank. "Because... I won't be bitten by the snakes if I stand next to him."
"..."
San Lang choked a little at his answer, then burst into laughter. Fu Yao's expression was thunderous. "You..."
His face grew steadily darker, then suddenly turned entirely black. Not just his face, Xie Lian's entire view also bathed in pure darkness.
Turns out that the protective barrier of flames that Fu Yao had put up earlier, as well as the ring of fire he had drawn on the ground, have suddenly gone out!
In the darkness, Xie Lian heard San Lang snicker as he said, "Pathetic!" He felt an arm loop over his shoulders. Immediately after, Xie Lian heard something slamming hard and fast right above them in quick succession. Bang bang! It sounded like a torrential rainstorm striking and bouncing off a parasol.
Needless to say, now that the protective barrier has vanished, the purplish-red snakes had begun raining down on them in a veritable deluge again. And there is a parasol propped above them, deflecting the snakes!
Xie Lian caught a whiff of a heavy scent of blood. He was about to make a move, but San Lang said, "Don't move. Nothing would dare come over here, if it knows what's best for them."
His tone was calm and confident. The first part of his sentence was spoken gently, his voice mellow, but the later part was laced with arrogance. Xie Lian had not been worried to begin with, but then he heard Fu Yao bellowing angrily somewhere ahead. It seems that the rain of snakes had poured all over his head. Xie Lian urged, "San Lang!"
San Lang immediately said, "No."
Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or tear at his hair. "Do you know what I was about to say?"
San Lang replied, "Don't worry yourself. He won't die."
At this moment, a shriek sounded from somewhere laterally ahead of them. "BAN YUE! If you want me dead just let them bite me and get it over with. What the hell are you playing at?"
Ban Yue protested, "It wasn't me!" In all likelihood, Ke Mo had been battered awake by the snakes, found himself buried in a seething mass of slippery bodies, and immediately determined this to be Ban Yue's way of tormenting him.
Xie Lian said, "Fu Yao, can you still light up a fire? Cast another flame spell!"
Fu Yao was gnashing his teeth. "That thing by your side is suppressing my magic, I can't light any fires!"
Xie Lian's heart sank, but San Lang said, "I didn't."
"I know you didn't," Xie Lian said. "And that's precisely why this is strange. Ban Yue and Ke Mo are bound by the Immortal Binding ropes so their powers are restricted, I've run out of spiritual energy, and you're not suppressing Fu Yao. Does that not mean that there is a sixth person in this pit?!"
Fu Yao was incensed. "Are you possessed! There's no damned sixth person here, no one else has come down from up there!"
At this moment, they heard Ban Yue's startled voice. "Who's there?!"
Xie Lian said, "What's wrong Ban Yue? Is there someone by your side?"
Ban Yue replied, "There's a..." Her sentence ended here and her voice faded away. Xie Lian exclaimed in alarm, "Ban Yue?!"
Fu Yao was still thrashing about within the nest of snakes. For a brief moment, a white light shone like a beacon within the pitch darkness accompanied by a ripple of explosions. He warned, "Be careful, she may be luring you over to her!"
Xie Lian said, "Not necessarily. Let's save her first!" He was about to dash into the rain of snakes, but then he heard San Lang's voice by his ear. "Alright!"
Xie Lian felt a hand fasten on his shoulder, and then they were suddenly whirling out together. He realized with a start that the youth was actually handling a parasol with masterful skill. With one arm fastening Xie Lian to his side, San Lang surged forward in an attack. Within the inky darkness, sparks of silver flickered, accompanied by clear, ringing chimes. Suddenly, there was an ear-piercing screech of metal on metal which split everyone's eardrums.
"Oh?" San Lang said. "So there really is a sixth person. How interesting."
Xie Lian could not tell how the youth handled his weapons, nor what his weapons even were. But right now, it was clear that his weapons have been met with someone else's attack!
The other person was silent. Xie Lian could hear the whistling sound of blades cleaving the air, and deduced that another attack has been launched. From time to time, sparks burst out in brief flashes, shining stark within the darkness, but winked out just as quickly as they came. It did not suffice to illuminate the enemy's face. Xie Lian trained an ear on the ongoing battle, and at the same time he called out, "Ban Yue, are you there? Can you answer me?"
There was no reply. Fu Yao huffed. "Mayhap the person you're both fighting with is her!"
Xie Lian said, "No, this is definitely not Ban Yue!"
Just like how they had beat Ke Mo in the dark earlier, San Lang moved around languidly like he was merely humouring his opponent, except that he was a little more attentive this time. Their opponent had explosively powerful martial skills, and they handled their weapon smoothly and skillfully. Ban Yue's build is petite. The brief flashes of light had illuminated a powerful looking arm, and the strength with which it wielded their weapon was clearly beyond Ban Yue's capability. Hence it is impossible for their opponent to be her. But who could this sixth person be? And when did they even turn up to begin with?!
{T/N: I used 'they' to be gender neutral, but really it's referring to only one person.}
"This sort of traitor who sells out her country is no different from that female ghost, Xuan Ji," Fu Yao retorted "Why are you so insistent on trusting her?"
{T/N: Reminder, Xuan Ji was the ghost who murdered the brides and broke her own legs to get her former lover Pei Ming (aka General Pei) to see her again.}
Xie Lian said, "Fu Yao, can you stop being so irritable? You... wait wait, what did you just say?"
Fu Yao crossly slapped at several Scorpion-Tailed snakes and sent them flying away with an explosive blast. "I said, why do you trust her so much? Just like how you trust that thing by your side!"
But Xie Lian said, "No, I wasn't talking about this—– you said Xuan Ji. You mentioned Xuan Ji didn't you?!"
"What of it?! What's that got to do with anything!"
But Xie Lian held his breath for a moment, then suddenly said, "You can stop now! There's no need for you to hide, I already know who you are!"
The sound of clashing blades did not waver. Their opponent paid no heed to him, but Xie Lian wasn't overly concerned. "You think my words are only meant to trick you? General Pei Junior?"
The Wind Master said, "I raised the sandstorm to keep you guys away from the Ban Yue Kingdom. But not only did you not get blown away, you somehow managed to find your way into the city instead."
As Xie Lian listened, he found it to be increasingly strange. Again, the issue of the sandstorm being created to keep them away from Ban Yue Kingdom was brought up. What does this mean?
He held back and listened silently, waiting to see what else she had to say. "In this matter however," the Wind Master added. "It is best if Your Highness does not involve himself in it."
Xie Lian darted a quick glance at Ban Yue who was still curled up on the ground, a sense of dread building up in his heart.
He had always been worried. Once this issue is brought up to the Heavenly Court, it is feasible that some Heavenly Officials may add or subtract the evidence recorded with a few strokes of their brushes as they pleased, thereby portraying General Pei Junior as entirely blameless in this matter, with Ban Yue as the scapegoat. For the Wind Master to tell him to keep his nose out of the affair, does she mean to protect Xiǎo Pei?
Without batting an eyelid, Xie Lian took a single step forward, coming to stand in front of Ban Yue. "I am already neck deep in this," he said mildly. "It's a little pointless to tell me not to involve myself now ba."
The Wind Master gave a little laugh. "Be at ease. You can bring the State Preceptor of Ban Yue away with you first."
This went entirely against Xie Lian's expectations. As he gaped foolishly for a moment, the Wind Master added, "We have already heard everything we need to know about this matter. Even though she's on the cusp of turning into a Wrath, while I was exploring the inner city earlier, I saw the Ban Yue State Preceptor trapping the Ban Yue soldiers in spell arrays she set up, before releasing the mortals that had been captured by the soldiers. Not only does she do no harm, she even goes out of her way to rescue lives. I will only be bringing away General Pei Junior and Ke Mo with me. You need not worry that I will drag in someone to be a scapegoat."
{T/N: Ghosts are ranked as Fierce, Severe, Wrath, and Devastation. Wrath ranked ghosts could massacre a whole city.}
Relieved, Xie Lian said, "Shame on me! It was I who was overly suspicious."
The Wind Master replied, "It's perfectly normal to be concerned. I do not deny there are indeed a lot of underhanded practices up in the Heavenly Court."
The young woman in black who had been standing by the side finally lost her patience. "Done talking? Can we go now?"
"Oi!" the Wind Master retorted. "What are you in such a rush for? I'll talk all I want!" Despite her words, she was already trotting towards her companion. Drawing a folding fan from her waist, she said to Xie Lian, "Your Highness, if there is nothing else, let's meet again in the Heavenly Court?"
At Xie Lian's nod, the Wind Master flicked open the fan with a snap. The front of the fan showed the '风' character in bold strokes, and on the back were three flowing lines depicting the movement of a breeze. Presumably, this was the Wind Master's divine weapon. She flapped the fan three times facing upwards, then flipped it over and fanned thrice again.
{T/N: 风 – wind}
Suddenly, a burst of wind swept through the plains, whipping up the fine sand and gravel in dizzying twists. Xie Lian lifted his sleeves to block the wind. By the time the winds died down, the two women, Pei Su, and Ke Mo were no longer there, leaving behind only Xie Lian, San Lang, Nan Feng, and Ban Yue who was curled up on the ground.
Chapter 29 : White Wind Master; Swirling Sandstorm
Well, what would you like to eat then, Hua Cheng?
Xie Lian lowered his sleeves and asked foolishly, "What just happened?"
San Lang strolled over towards him. "Something good."
Xie Lian looked at him. "Something good?"
San Lang said, "Something very good. By asking you to not get involved, the Wind Master was helping you."
Nan Feng walked over as well. "Yes. You were handling this matter from the beginning to the end, and now all that's left is to report the situation to the Heavenly Emperor. Just keep yourself out of this bit."
Xie Lian understood. "It's because of General Pei, isn't it?"
"Correct. You've managed to royally piss off General Pei this time," Nan Feng said.
Xie Lian chuckled. "Well, I had already anticipated offending at least one person long ago. It doesn't really matter who it is."
Nan Feng frowned. "Do not take my words for a jest. Asides from the Palace Hall of the Supreme Martial God, the Ming Guang Palace Hall holds the most power. General Pei places great importance on Xiǎo Pei, and has always wanted to kick Quan Yi Zhen down to make way for Pei Su. He's sure to come looking for trouble with you."
{T/N: General Pei is the deity protector of the North and is also known as General Ming Guang, which means 'bright light'. Temples dedicated to him (and General Pei Jnr) are called Ming Guang temples. The Palace Hall of the Supreme Martial God belongs to the Heavenly Emperor.}
"Is Quan Yi Zhen the Martial God of the West that you spoke of?"
"Yes. Quan Yi Zhen is also newly come to his position. He and Pei Su ascended at around the same time. He's fairly young and is somewhat... but he's still not someone to be taken lightly. General Pei deliberately allowed Pei Su to wrest away believers from the West, and Pei Su had spared no effort in doing so. He would have only needed a few more years to succeed, but then you turned up and ruined all his plans. I don't think Pei Su will be lucky enough to pull through this unscathed. If he ends up being demoted, it won't be smooth sailing for you either."
Xie Lian rubbed at the space between his brows and secretly resolved to be more careful while eating, drinking and walking in the future. But San Lang disagreed, "There's no need to worry. Pei Ming is a proud one, it's beneath him to stir up trouble for others."
Nan Feng shot him a quick look. Xie Lian said, "What about the Wind Master? By asking me to steer clear of this, does she mean to shoulder the responsibility instead? Wouldn't she end up offending General Pei? No no, I think we should call her back. Nan Feng do you have the pass code for the Wind Master's spirit communication array?"
Nan Feng snorted. "Worry about yourself first. General Pei may dare move against you, but he won't touch the Wind Master. She may be younger than you, but she fares a great deal better than you."
"..."
Xie Lian's silence was not because he received a blow to his self esteem, merely that he was lost in his thoughts. I don't think there's anyone in the Upper Court of Heaven who could possibly fare worse than me, right?
San Lang chuckled. "The Wind Master has a strong backer, so it's not surprising for her to fare well."
Xie Lian asked, "Are you referring to the young woman in black that was with her? She was also very formidable."
"No," San Lang replied. "But the one in black is certainly powerful. Unless I miss my guess, she is likely one of the five elemental masters of Wind, Water, Rain, Earth and Thunder. I wouldn't recommend offending her."
To be able to call up a windstorm in the middle of the dessert, the Wind Master would naturally be brimming with powerful magic. And the young woman in black had been even more formidable. Xie Lian thought back to how she had seemed to perceive something questionable about San Lang, and said uneasily, "I agree."
But there was one more thing on his mind, although Xie Lian did not give voice to it. Having a strong backer does not necessarily mean a smooth future. Once, there was a time when the Crown Prince of Xian Le had the support of Jun Wu, the supreme Martial God and Heavenly Emperor of the three realms. But did he not still end up a failure in the end?
Xie Lian picked up his bamboo hat from the ground and patted the dust from it, relieved to see that it had not been flattened. He looped it around his neck and let it rest against his back, before sizing up Nan Feng briefly. "Have you been chasing and battling with those two ladies the entire way?"
Nan Feng's expression turned dark. "Yes. All the way."
Xie Lian patted his shoulder. "It's been really hard on you." Having said that, he suddenly recalled another person who had also suffered miserably. Turning around, he asked, "Where is Fu Yao?"
"Wasn't he looking after those who were poisoned?" Nan Feng said.
Ever since they were blown up by the gale, no one had seen Fu Yao. In fact, from the moment Ah Zhao revealed himself, Xie Lian had not noticed his presence at all. Either Fu Yao had made good his escape during that time, or he had run off after the winds had tossed them out of the pit.
Xie Lian was not overly worried about him. If he had to guess, Fu Yao had probably wanted to wash his hands clean of this mess and had slipped away in a hurry. Then he gave a start at Nan Feng's words. Poisoned! "The Kindred Moon herbs!" they exclaimed in unison.
San Lang said, "No hurry, daybreak has just arrived."
However, how could they dawdle when lives are at stake? Although it has not yet been twelve hours since the snakes first attacked, who knows what obstacles may delay them along the way? Xie Lian immediately lifted Ban Yue over his back and made a mad dash for the palace grounds.
When he arrived, he laid Ban Yue down and proceeded to pull up large handfuls of the Kindred Moon herbs. The face in the ground was still there, bloody and mangled amidst the scattered bones.
In the past, Xie Lian would have considered digging a hole to give it a burial. But firstly, he was in a rush to bring back the herbs to the poisoned. And secondly, the man had already been buried in the ground for over 50 years. In all likelihood, he may not want to return to the earth. Strangely though, the body of the merchant was missing. Xie Lian paused, baffled.
From within the palace halls, San Lang brought out a small clay pot. Xie Lian perked up at the sight. "Great, many thanks San Lang!"
Ban Yue was weakened and could not be roused. Xie Lian shrank her and stowed her into the clay pot.
{T/N: Trapping evil spirits or demons in magical containers such as gourds is a regular theme in Chinese stories. Imagine evil genie cartoon Jafar sucked into his lamp. Yea.}
After plucking the herbs, they finally rushed back. It was now four hours since they first encountered the Scorpion-Tailed snakes.
At the place where Fu Yao painted the circle, there were still several people staying obediently within the array. After receiving the medicine from Nan Feng, the elderly man's condition began to improve. Another dose of the Kindred Moon herb on the wound itself, and he was up and walking after a short rest. Xie Lian did not think it necessary to inform him what had been the Kindred Moon herb's fertilizer.
{T/N: Quick reminder, the elderly man, Uncle Zheng, is the leader of the caravan band and was the first one bitten by the snakes. Tian Sheng is his nephew.}
After a period when their nerves have begun to settle, they began to fret. "Where's Tian Sheng? Why have they have not returned yet?"
Xie Lian had been anxious to pick the herbs earlier, and there were no Ban Yue soldiers left in the ancient city anyway, so he had not given any thought to looking out for Tian Sheng and the rest. He was just about to turn back for them when he heard a boy shouting, growing steadily closer and louder.
Xie Lian turned to look. It was Tian Sheng. The youngster was clutching armfuls of the Kindred Moon herbs, and there were two other merchants behind him, panting and puffing for breath.
After a round of questioning, this was what had transpired. After Ban Yue swept the soldiers down into the Sinners' Pit, she whisked away Tian Sheng and his companions. Tian Sheng and the merchants with him had been terrified witless, but after Ban Yue brought them away, she had pointed out a path for them and sent them off. Having escaped with their lives, they immediately went to gather the Kindred Moon herbs, buried the body of the dead merchant, and desperately hurried back, but were still several steps behind Xie Lian and the rest.
In short order, the caravans were escorted out of the desert, and things finally come to an end.
However, when they were parting ways, Tian Sheng stole over to seek him out, and said mysteriously, "Gēgē, I have something to ask you."
Xie Lian, "Ask away."
Tian Sheng, "Are you a god?"
{T/N: In most Chinese religions/folklore, there are many many deities. So unless it's a title like Martial God or God of XX, I will not be capitalizing the G.}
"..."
Xie Lian was surprised and somewhat touched.
There had been a period of time when he had been desperately shouting, I am a god, I am His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but no one had believed him. This time, he had not even said anything but was asked instead if he was a deity. It really made him feel shocked and moved.
Tian Sheng immediately added, "I saw you using magic! Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Xie Lian privately thought, It's not like anyone would believe you anyway...
"We owe you our lives," Tian Sheng continued. "If not for you, I would have been kicked into the pit by that horrible group of ghost soldiers. When I get home, I'll build a temple and dedicate offerings to you."
Xie Lian's face finally cracked into a smile as he watched Tian Sheng pat his chest proudly while outlining the "very very big" temple with grand gestures. "Well then, you have my thanks."
San Lang was standing near him, chuckling quietly to himself. But Xie Lian did not think he was mocking the child's overestimation of his own abilities.
Although the child does not know how large of an undertaking building a temple would be, and that this may not actually be feasible in the end, Xie Lian was nonetheless happy with the earnest promise.
After much wheedling and badgering, Xie Lian caved in and hastily came up with the title "God of Scraps" to please the youngster. Then he waved and quickly walked away. Nan Feng cast the Distance Reducing Technique and sent them back to the Pu Qi Shrine.
Open the door, shake out the straw mat, splay down on it like a corpse. Xie Lian did all this seamlessly. San Lang sat himself down next to him, resting his chin on one hand as he gazed at Xie Lian. Xie Lian heaved a sigh. "How long have we been gone?"
San Lang said, "About three to four days."
Xie Lian heaved another sigh. "Only three to four days. Why is it so tiring then."
After ascending to Heaven, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he had been frequently working till he was dog tired. Done sighing, he turned his head up and said, " Yi, Nan Feng, why haven't you gone back to report?"
{T/N: yí is an expression of surprise.}
Nan Feng said, "Report what?"
"Aren't you an official from the Nan Yang Palace Hall?" Xie Lian replied. "Won't your General be looking for you if you were absent for three to four days?"
"My General is currently not in the Palace Hall. He won't bother himself with me," Nan Feng said.
Xie Lian crawled back to his feet. "Okay, you staying here is good too."
Nan Feng asked warily, "What do you want?"
Xie Lian replied pleasantly, "I'll cook a meal for you. My treat as thanks."
Nan Feng's face immediately twisted. He lifted a hand and pressed two fingers to his temple as if he was receiving a message through the spirit channel. Then he got up and said, "Something came up at the temple. I'll be leaving first."
Xie Lian lifted a hand. "Ai, Nan Feng, don't leave yet. Why did something suddenly crop up? You've really worked hard this time..."
Nan Feng roared, "It's REALLY urgent!" Xie Lian watched as he rushed out the door, then sat back down on his straw mat. "Guess he wasn't hungry," he said to San Lang.
Before San Lang could frame a reply, there was a 'bang' at the door. Nan Feng had turned back and was standing stiffly at the doorway. "The both of you..."
Xie Lian and San Lang were sitting side by side on the woven straw mat. Tilting his head, Xie Lian asked, "What about the both of us?"
Nan Feng pointed a finger at San Lang, then at Xie Lian. He was silent for a long moment, before finally uttering, "I'll be back."
Xie Lian said, "You're always welcome."
Nan Feng's gaze swept towards San Lang again for a moment, then slammed the door shut and left. Xie Lian crossed his arms thoughtfully, and cocked his head at San Lang. "Seems like it's really something urgent."
He glanced at the youth again, then smiled. "Since he's not hungry, how about you?"
San Lang answered with a grin of his own. "I'm hungry."
Xie Lian beamed and got up again. As he turned around to tidy up the table of offerings, he said, "Alright. What would you like to eat then, Hua Cheng?"
There was silence behind him. Followed by a low chuckle.
"I would still prefer to be called 'San Lang'."